His Early Years
Leon Edwin Russell was born on January 11, 1906, in Hewitt, Minnesota, to Nettie and Ed Russell. Leon was the ninth of twelve children, six boys and six girls. In addition to farming, Ed and a neighbor owned a well drilling machine and for several years drilled water wells around the country. Ed sheared sheep every spring. Often he and his sons traveled together to shear sheep (Grave, 2006).
His School Years
Leon was raised in Hewitt, and he and his eleven siblings all became Seventh-day Adventists like their parents (News-Review, 1963). Leon graduated from Union College, Lincoln, Nebraska, took training at Hinsdale Sanitarium and Hospital, Illinois, and received his master’s degree from the University of Oregon, Eugene. In 1930, Leon married Lola Clark, who was an R. N. The Russells had one son.
Years of Service
Throughout his life, Leon served in a variety of services for the denomination in educational, medical and pastoral ministry, including being principal at Ozark Adventist Academy from 1950-1955; the first principal of Milo Academy from 1955-1962; head of the orthopedic department and chaplain at Portland Adventist Hospital, and gave a year of service as a pastor at the Hawaiian Mission from 1974-1975 (Gleaner, 1975).
His Retirement Years
The Russells moved to Gresham in Multnomah County, Oregon around 1986. Lola died in 1987 and the following year, Leon married Margaret Smith. He died on June 11, 1991 in Multnomah, Oregon.
Citations
(1963, Jul. 5). The News-Review, p. 12.
(1975, Nov. 3). North Pacific Gleaner, p. 11.
FindaGrave.com (2006, Jul. 17). Edwin (Ed) Thomas Russell. Retrieved from findagrave.com.
How it all Began 